The earth cracked under Alicard's feet, its surface blackened by heat and streaked with veins of crimson light. The wind howled, carrying the scent of burning ash and rotting flesh. What had once been forests and cities was now a wasteland of jagged stone and crumbling ruins. He trudged forward, ignoring the gnawing ache in his stomach and the weight of exhaustion pressing on his shoulders.
Alicard tightened his grip on the rusted dagger at his side. Its blade was chipped, its edge dull, but it was enough to scare away scavengers—or at least it had been so far. He'd learned early on that hesitation meant death.
The ruins loomed ahead, jagged spires of stone and twisted metal jutting toward the blood-red sky. Alicard paused, his eyes scanning the shadows curling along the edges. The silence was too heavy here. Too still. He wasn't alone.
"Anything?" Kalen's voice broke the quiet, sharp with fear.
Alicard turned to find the wiry scavenger crouched behind a pile of rubble, his knuckles white around the grip of his spear. Sweat dripped down his brow despite the biting wind.
"Not yet," Alicard said, though his gut told him otherwise.
"Shouldn't be here." Kalen's voice dropped to a whisper. "These ruins are cursed. Everyone knows it."
"Everyone also says the gods are coming back." Alicard adjusted the torn leather strap across his chest, ignoring the dry sting of his cracked lips. "They're not."
He stepped forward, ignoring Kalen's hissed protest. Hunger gnawed at him, sharper than fear. There was no turning back—not after coming this far.
The first sign of movement came as a flicker, a shadow that shifted where it shouldn't have. Alicard froze, eyes narrowing as he scanned the ruins. A low growl echoed through the air. Not human.
"Kalen." Alicard didn't look back. "Run."
The scavenger didn't move. His breath came in short, panicked gasps.
Alicard gritted his teeth, spinning just in time to shove Kalen aside as the beast lunged from the shadows. It was massive—its skin blackened and split by jagged, glowing veins. Red eyes burned from its skull-like face, and its maw split open, revealing rows of jagged teeth.
The impact knocked Alicard off his feet. He hit the ground hard, his knife skittering away across the stone.
The beast roared, claws raking toward him. Alicard rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike, and scrambled to his feet. Blood pounded in his ears.
"Get up!" he shouted at Kalen, who was still frozen, wide-eyed. "Move!"
The beast lunged again. Alicard ducked beneath its claws, diving for his knife. His fingers closed around the hilt just as the creature turned. No time to think. He drove the blade up, burying it beneath the beast's jaw.
It screamed—a sound that sent shivers racing down Alicard's spine—but didn't fall. Instead, it threw him back, sending him crashing into a crumbling pillar.
Pain flared in his ribs. Alicard forced himself up. The beast staggered, dark ichor leaking from its wound, but it wasn't done. Neither was he.
The ground trembled. A low hum filled the air. Alicard's eyes snapped to the ruins—the source of the sound. Faint light pulsed from deeper within, like a heartbeat.
The beast hesitated. Alicard didn't.
"This way!" he shouted, dragging Kalen with him. They sprinted toward the ruins, the beast's roar echoing behind them. Alicard dove through a shattered archway, skidding to the ground as stone collapsed behind him, sealing the entrance.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then the hum returned, louder this time. Alicard pushed himself up, his breath ragged, and turned toward the source.
It rested on a broken altar, its surface cracked but still pulsing with light. A crystal, faintly red, flickered as if it were alive.
Alicard stepped closer, his chest tightening. He didn't know what it was—but he knew it wasn't meant to be here.
"Stay back," he said to Kalen, though the scavenger was too shaken to move.
The hum grew louder. Alicard's fingers trembled as he reached out. The moment his skin touched the crystal, fire tore through him.
His scream echoed through the ruins. The world blurred, and suddenly he wasn't there anymore. He was somewhere else—somewhere vast and endless, where shadows writhed and gods fell.
Memories not his own flooded his mind—visions of battles that shattered the skies and monsters that tore apart reality. He saw gods rise and fall, their power scattered across the earth like dying embers.
When the visions finally ended, Alicard collapsed, his body wracked with pain. His veins burned, glowing faintly beneath his skin.
But he was alive.
And as he pushed himself to his feet, he knew—whatever that crystal was, it had changed him.